


Where Angels Dare to Tread

by aidansidhe



Series: White Rose Week 2017 [6]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, White Rose Week 2017, White Rose Week 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2018-12-02 18:40:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11515170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidansidhe/pseuds/aidansidhe
Summary: Running for her life in a strange city, Weiss finds herself between a fate worse than death and the promise of salvation.





	1. Welcome to Chicago

**Author's Note:**

> Alright. Potential trigger warnings in this. Unlike my other stories for WR Week 2017, this is not in the Dreams Come True AU. This is the Modern prompt. 
> 
> Warnings: Attempted assault, physical violence, torture.
> 
> I might even continue this one as a proper story at some point down the line.

The wind whipped turbulently through the alleyway casting the young woman’s silvery hair behind her like a pennant snapping. _“Gotta get away. Keep running, Weiss.”_ She hazarded a glance back and saw three of her four pursuers. _“Shitshitshit…”_  Reaching the end of the alley, she turned to meet a fence. “ _A dead end?!”_ She turned with panic in her eyes.

The three men stopped and slowly began to strut down the alley. “End of the line, Fraulein.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. _“How did they know I am German? I just arrived in this city today…”_ Her body turned into a fighting stance. _“Alright, one foot back, the other slightly forward… not that forward… Hands up…”_

Their supposed leader glanced back at a slightly younger man with blue hair. “Well, look here, Skye. We got ourselves a fighter.” He cracked his knuckles and started stalking forward. “I love it when they fight.”

Not letting him get his momentum, she jetted forward and whipped a kick at the side of his knee causing him to lose his balance and skid. He took a swipe with his large hands but failed to grab more than a few loose strands of hair. She twirled back into her stance and began to analyze potential escape routes. _“Shit. No way out but through them.”_

She charged forward, hoping to spook them like most predators when facing unexpected aggression. Their leader dove out of the way of her initial assault, leaving man identified as Skye to take the tip of her shoe in his stomach. Staggering back, he leaned heavily against a dumpster, wheezing to catch his breath.

Attempting to fake and rush past the third nearly worked until disaster struck. Slim hands like manacles wrapped around her arm and redirected her momentum face first into the rough brick of the neighboring building.

Her vision blurring, Weiss looked at the double vision of the mohawked man. His wicked smile drew nearer as he slowly pulled out a knife. “Well, Cardin may like it when they fight, but I think I knocked the fight right out of you, now didn’t I?”

Her mind, a fearsome weapon of logic and intellect, dazed as it was, came upon a brilliant stratagem. She spat in his eye a mixture of spit and blood. “Go fuck yourself, animal.”

Growling in rage, he grabbed at her thick peacoat and began to saw at its bindings with his blade. Her futile struggling met with no success as her vision began to blur into blackness.

Barely able to keep her eyes open, she idly mourned the exterior of her coat and giggled at his look of frustration.

“Titanium threaded layer. Aww.. is someone mad?” She tried to take a swing before his hand caught around her throat and slammed her against the wall. Her face burst into excruciating pain as he slowly dragged the knife tip down her face, blessedly avoiding damaging her eye itself.

A scream, guttural and full of fear, ripped from her lungs as she filled the air with sounds of terror and panicked begging. “NEIN! NEIN!” All coherence lost as her throat was further compressed.

As the darkness rose once more, she imagined she heard a voice.

“HEY!”

Suddenly the pressure on her throat subsided as the figure was ripped from her by a red blur. A larger figure of brown and gold roared down the alley with a terrifying yet comforting display of masculine rage. As she sank back against the wall, she heard the short-lived sounds of combat and anguished screams. In the back of her mind, she noted each voice of pain belonged to an attacker.

Suddenly, she felt caught up in a gentle embrace. Struggling against the hold, she flailed feebly. The voice she imagined sounded like an angel to her ears. “Shh…. It’s okay. They aren’t going to hurt you anymore.”

Weiss opened her eyes and focused on the delicate face hovering with concern writ over its features. The most striking were her savior’s eyes. They were silver.

ooOOoo

“Yes!” The young woman clad in red crowed exultantly. “It’s done! I passed! WOOO!” She threw up her arms in joy and spun around.

The tall, muscular man walking behind her chuckled warmly, “Y’know, Ruby. Nobody is particularly surprised by this. I mean, we all knew you’d get your degree someday.”

Rolling her eyes, Ruby grinned, “Yeah, Dad, but how many people can say they got their doctorate before they turned twenty-two? Who can?” She pointed her thumbs inward, “This girl.” Spinning to face forward, she held her head high. “And as such, I deserve cookies… and some strawberries.” She began to snicker.

Catching up to her, her father tousled her hair. “Sure thing, sweetheart.”

Their elation was cut short by the blood-curdling screams emanating from the alleyway ahead. Taiyang whipped his head in that direction, “Shit. Stay behind me, Ruby. I’m going in.” Cursing under his breath that he left his service pistol at home due to the university’s anti-gun regulations, he took off at a run.

The pair turned into the alley to see a scene out of a horror show. Fear and fury lent wings to Ruby’s impressive speed as she tore down the alley, “HEY!” She bellowed as she tackled the first thug, causing his previously unseen knife to clatter at his side.

Spotting the fallen weapon and two standing thugs, Taiyang roared a challenge as he barreled into them, delivering a brutal takedown. Quickly incapacitating the talentless men, he turned to see his youngest daughter administering a text book perfect chokehold, causing her target to black out. He chuckled to himself, _“Skilled enough to be a cop, and went to school to be a shrink. That’s my girl.”_ He pulled out his cell and called in the altercation, citing his badge number and dragged the culprits into a single pile of wasted potential.

After ending the call, he saw Ruby cradling the injured woman. Prudently staying back, as her recent experience with large men being negative, he let his daughter take point.

As they made her comfortable, neither noticed the pair of eyes glittering beyond the fence that vanished into the darkness.

ooOOoo

Weiss opened her eye slowly. Her heart raced with panic as she tried to reach her left eye yet found neither vision nor range of movement as her hands were restrained. She cast about to see her environment when her eyes settled on a red and black lump curled on the chair beside her bed.

Her thoughts were pierced by a comforting voice, “She stayed up beside you all night.”

Her head jerked sideways to see the tall man in the doorway. She began to recognize universal indicators of medical care and slowly relaxed. Spotting the badge on his belt led her to recline completely. She looked at her restraints. “Am I. Arrested?” Her voice, somewhat hazy by trauma and sleep, was heavily accented. She started in surprise. _“Why… I trained away my accent…”_

Chuckling the man sat in the chair to her other side. “No, ma’am. Just a precaution to make sure you did not disturb your bandages in panic. The docs said your eye will be fine, though there may be some scarring. From what we gathered from your injuries, the knife wound to your face may have some minor infections as the knife was hardly sterile, and your face had made contact with a surface, depositing particulate matter prior to the wound being made.”

“Who?” She coughed.

Smiling warmly, he replied, “Detective Xiao Long, Chicago PD. While I would like to ask you a few questions regarding your ordeal, I will wait until the doctors clear you.”

Her eye flicked to the still form on the other chair.

Laughing quietly, he continued, “That’s my daughter, Ruby. We were walking by the alley when we heard your cries.”

Closing her eye, she sank into the bed. “Thank you.”

“Just part of the job, ma’am. Now get some rest. Your doctor should be back in an hour. If you need anything, there’s a call button.” He rose and began to rouse the sleeping Ruby.

His efforts were halted by Weiss’ delicate voice. “She can stay. Please let her stay.”

He turned to regard her panicked expression. “Are you sure? I mean, you didn’t meet under the best circumstances.” His thoughts assuming she’d form the connection between Ruby and the attack. “You don’t want to invite any undue stress while you are recovering.”

Her face turned pleading, “She saved me. Please let her stay. I… I don’t think I can sleep alone.”

Adjusting a blanket over Ruby, he stood. “Of course. As I said, call if you need anything.”

Her eye tracked him as he left and the door closed. Turning back to consider Ruby’s slumbering form, she relaxed and began to drift. _“Maybe guardian angels really do exist…”_


	2. Where Demons Dwell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovering from her assault, her past begins to encroach on Weiss' present.

A faint murmuring woke the slumbering psychologist. After a brief moment of adjustment to her new wakeful status, Ruby blearily sought out the source of her sleep’s disruption. On her hospital bed, the young woman she rescued in the alley slept fitfully, tugging frantically at her restraints as her vocalizations grew louder.

“Nnnnnein… Vater… Mutter…”

Tilting her head, Ruby approached her erstwhile charge quietly. _“So... some negative association with her father and mother. A possible source of trauma? Orphaned? Abused?”_ Her sleep-fogged brain sluggishly went through her memories of the night prior. _“That jacket was no joke. Going to scrap orphaned and go with abused. Unless she is independently wealthy and buys stupidly high-end body armor as a fashion statement. Diplomat’s daughter? Business mogul? Need data.”_ She shakes her head vigorously. _“Need coffee.”_

Quietly slipping from the room, she misses the pale woman’s next words, “Meine Engel… komm Zu mir zurück…”

ooOOoo

Stirring her coffee to distribute the milk and blasphemous amounts of sugar evenly, Ruby inhaled the life-giving aroma. “Ahhhh.. yeah… that’s the stuff.” Sipping carefully, she pulled out her phone to thumb through any missed messages. “Something from Dad’s station?”

_Dr. Rose,_

_Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the higher-ups have decided to offer you first right of refusal regarding the events of last evening. Our caseload has created a bit of a backlog, and our staff psychologists and profilers are working overtime as it is to keep afloat. What we would like to offer you is a contract position to gather a psychological profile of the woman rescued. The pertinent details that we have gathered will be forwarded to you upon acceptance. If you refuse, the case will pass on to another profiler and you can remain an interested party, but we cannot share any case details._

_Regards,_

_Commissioner Ozpin_

Ruby blinked, “A job? Seriously? I like… got my credentials yesterday. Not even yesterday. I was told I would GET them yesterday.” She opened a reply and muttered as she typed, “That will be acceptable. I look forward to working with you on the case… Please send any information to this secured email…” She continued typing, her tongue lightly tucked in the corner of her mouth.

Walking back to the room, her phone chimed, “That… was unusually fast.” She flicked open the message attachment. “Weiss Schnee. Daughter of noted German business tycoon Jacques Schnee. Age 23. Reported missing to the _Bundespolizei_ three weeks ago. Flagged at O’Hare three days ago by immigration. Valid passports and documentation so they had no probable cause to detain her.” She closed the file. _“Alright, abused is looking more likely. That explains why she ran, but it doesn’t have any bearing on the alley. Or does it? Well, one way to find out. Dr. Rose is on the case!”_

ooOOoo

A single crystalline blue eye opened with a start. Sitting as swiftly as her restrained body would allow, Weiss took in the room around her. _“Still in the hospital. Face is bandaged. So… not a nightmare. Restrained, though given the nature of my injuries and the general reaction of panic, it is likely for my own good.”_ She thought back, _“That officer said as much. Logical.”_ Her eyes swept over the couch and an inexplicable pang of sadness filled her chest, _“Oh… I guess she had to leave. I would have liked to thank her…”_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening carefully as a red-clad young woman carrying a cup of coffee as if it were the mythical Ark of the Covenant itself slipped into the room. “H-Hello?”

The woman squeaked and jumped at the sound, slightly spilling the hot beverage on her hand. “Yowch! Hot. Oh, fudge darn heckin’ crapbaskets that’s hot…” She set down the cup and started waving her hand, delicately wiping it off with her hoodie. “You’re awake!”

Fighting a smile at the enthusiastic use of euphemisms, Weiss inclined her head, “Well spotted.” She hesitated, “Are… are you the woman that rescued me last night?”

With a megawatt grin, Ruby made her way to Weiss’ bedside. “Sure am! Dr. Ruby Rose at your service!” She stuck out her hand.

Her only visible eyebrow arched as she looked down from Ruby’s extended hand and to her own shackled wrist. “Charmed.”

Rubbing the back of her head with a self-deprecating chuckle, Ruby chirped, “Sorry about that. I can call in an orderly to see if they can get rid of the restraints for now. You aren’t panicking or trying to get at your bandages, so I don’t see the harm in them going away.”

Weiss blinked in confusion, “Can’t you do it? You are a doctor, is this not your hospital?”

Blinking, Ruby smiled, “Well, yes and no. Doctor yes, my hospital no. I’m not a stitches and shots doctor. I’m a head shrinky doctor.”

“I see. Well, please call whoever is needed to gain my freedom from this bed. I cannot stay here for too long…” She clenched her jaw to interrupt her own sentence, “Nevermind. Just help me from here, please?”

Peering closely at Weiss, Ruby nodded, “Alright, but then you’re going to come clean on that last bit. And if you can give me any insights as to what happened in the alley, that would be great.”

Her demeanor cooling, Weiss drew her self up in as dignified a manner as possible. “I fail to see how that is relevant, or how my business is your own. You saved me from those thugs, but that does not give you license to pry into my personal affairs.”

Raising a hand to ward off her words, Ruby interjected, “True, however. The CPD IS offering me the profiler spot on your case making it my professional concern. I was going to accept, that way you had a familiar, friendly face to go with the investigation, but if you’d rather I didn’t, I will turn them down.”

Her head rocking back as if slapped, Weiss stammered, “Y-you want to help me? No angles, no favors, no expectations of handouts?”

With a weary chuckle, Ruby slumped against the wall, “Princess, before five minutes ago, I had no idea who you were, what your name was, or where you were from. All I knew was there was a cute girl who had a bad turn down an alley that I was able to help. Nothing more, nothing less. I was going to offer you crash space if you had nowhere else to go. Now, however, I will offer you a place to stay if you feel yourself in danger while the investigation is underway.”

Blushing lightly, Weiss looked toward the window, “I don’t know who the men in the alley were. They… seemed to know me. They referenced my nationality. I doubt it was a coincidence. I… I don’t know how they are connected, but I am afraid my father might have a hand in this. He… is…” She grimaced in remembered pain, “He is not a good man.”

Sitting lightly on the bed, Ruby took Weiss’ hand in her own. “Your father? You were reported missing three weeks ago, and from your actions, demeanor, and seriously kick butt coat you had on that you left voluntarily. Thankfully, you have not committed any crimes and you have entered the country legally, so there are no grounds that we are aware of for extradition. You’re an adult, so they can’t demand your return custodially. Your entry visa is good for… “She checked her phone, “Three months until you have to either apply to renew it or have to return to Germany on your own.”

Smiling warmly, she squeezed the hand, “We’ll figure this out, Weiss. You are safe now.”

ooOOoo

In a warehouse across town, a young man moaned painfully in a chair. Light slashes littering his skin, covering his face and torso with a tapestry of blood and pain. “Where. Is. The. Girl. Dove?”

Dove “Bronze Wing” Patterson coughed a light stream of blood, “I dunno… sir… Big guy and a girl took out Cardin and the rest. She was cut up a bit. I think Russell did it. Mighta got taken to a hospital.”

The man circled the wounded Dove. “Finally, something useful. You see? Give me the information I want in a timely fashion and I don’t hurt you. Isn’t this better? Don’t you wish you had just told me this before instead of wasting my time professing your innocence and throwing your compatriots under the metaphorical bus?”

Nodding blearily, Dove winced, “Yessir…”

Smiling, the man gently stroked the bleeding man’s hair. “Good. I am sorry it had to come to this, Dove.”

Smiling faintly, a beaten dog relishing in the cessation of punishment, “Me t-GHURK…” Dove’s eyes flutter closed as his life’s blood pulsed around the knife driven into his throat.

Wiping his hand clean, the man reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. “It’s done. Sanitize the warehouse and canvas all local hospitals, clinics, veterinarians, pharmacies, and back alley doctors. Anyone who can stitch a wound, I want them searched. FIND. MY. SISTER.”


End file.
